Okay, so today I actually went out and tried that putter grip Patrick Cantlay uses. Been seeing him on TV, draining putts, and thought, “What’s the deal with that grip?” Time to figure it out myself.
Hitting the Practice Green
I headed over to the club, straight to the putting green. Grabbed my putter and a handful of balls. Didn’t really have a plan, just wanted to feel it out. I’ve seen pictures and watched him putt, so I had a rough idea. It’s kinda like that claw style, but his own version, right? Left hand looked pretty normal, maybe a bit strong, but the right hand does that thing where it sits differently, more on the side, fingers pointing down kinda.
Getting the Feel
First tries felt really awkward. Like, my right hand didn’t know what its job was. Usually, my hands feel like they work together, but this felt like my right hand was just along for the ride, trying not to mess things up. I spent maybe 10 minutes just gripping and re-gripping the putter without even hitting a ball. Just trying to find a spot where it felt… well, not comfortable, but at least stable. The pressure points felt totally different. Usually, I feel it in my palms and fingers more evenly, but this put a lot of feeling just on the side of my right hand and those specific fingers.
Rolling Some Putts
Then I started hitting some short putts, maybe 5-footers. My first few attempts were… not great. Distance control was tricky. Some rockets, some died halfway. It definitely felt like it took my right hand out of the stroke, less manipulation maybe? I tried to focus on just rocking my shoulders, keeping the hands quiet. It sort of forces you to do that, I guess.
I spent a good 30-40 minutes working on it. Moved back to about 10-15 feet. Tried to get a consistent setup and stroke. Some putts felt surprisingly solid. Like the face stayed square much easier through impact. But then the next one, I’d push it or pull it. Consistency was tough. It felt like I needed way more practice to make this feel natural. My brain kept wanting my right hand to do more, like it usually does.
Final Thoughts for the Day
So, after about an hour, I called it quits. My take? It’s interesting. I can see why someone might use it, especially if they get wristy with a conventional grip. It really does seem to quiet the hands. But man, it does not feel natural to me right now. It’s like learning to write with your opposite hand. I’m not sure I’ll stick with it, maybe I’ll give it another go next time I’m practicing. Definitely need way more reps to even consider putting it in play. It was a good experiment though, always fun to try something different and see how the pros do things. Makes you appreciate how dialed in those guys are.
